​On the twenty-first of this month, I will celebrate an anniversary that means nothing to anyone other than me. It’s exactly 15 years since I first typed “Chapter one”, and began my first novel.

In an almost literary coincidence, January 2018 marks a significant new chapter in my life. I have left my full-time job as a copywriter, and, for the first time, if someone asks me what my job is, I can confidently say “I’m an author”. And that’s all I do.

While this is a lifetime’s dream come true, it brings with it a series of new challenges. I have to work out how to self-motivate and to manage my time. I have to build in time for research, publicity and a million other things that come with being a writer, while still preserving the hours I need for real scribbling.

I am utterly certain I won’t get it right at first, and my schedule will need tweaking. I need to remember to say no to non-essential things and keep my focus on the main prize – a new book and a new publishing contract. I might lose my way and have to correct and readjust, but I cannot wait to see how it goes.